How the new 2016 BMW 340i will fill the shoes of the 335i

The 2016 BMW 3 Series configurator is now live and you can build your own Sedam, Sports Wagon or Gran Turismo models. The 340i rear-drive Sedan starts at $45,800 while the 340i xDrive all-wheel-drive starts at $47,800 (not including $995 destination). The outgoing 2015 335i, replaced by the 2016 340i, was priced at $43,750. How will the 340i be better than the outgoing 335i?

The 2016 BMW 340i is the first to use BMW’s new 6-cylinder gasoline powerplant. It’s the first BMW to be powered by the B58 from the new modular BMW EfficientDynamics engine family. The engine is lightweight and is an all-aluminum unit and uses BMW’s TwinPower Turbo technology.

The outgoing mill in the 2015 335i is loved by BMW enthusiasts and praised for its silky-smooth power delivery, excellent powerband and sweet exhaust note. The new 3.0-liter engine, equipped with BMW’s latest generation TwinPower Turbo technology, replaces the N55 powered 335i and tops the 3 Series gasoline line-up. It has some big shoes to fill, but produces 320 hp, a 20 horsepower improvement over the outgoing 335i. Peak torque is an impressive 330 lb-ft of torque.

The new 340i is available with a six-speed manual gearbox or eight-speed ZF automatic. With the 8-speed Steptronic transmission, 340i accelerates from 0-60 mph in just 4.8 seconds while the BMW 340i xDrive model takes just 4.6 seconds. The 6-speed manual features a dual-mass flywheel with centrifugal pendulum adjusters and rev-matching to bring the engine to the correct speed for the next gear change, up or down.

Other 340i upgrades over the 335i include redesigned headlights with optional full-LED lighting while the LED taillights are sharper and more dynamic. The rear end also gets more sculpted and clearly defined lines.

A Track Handling package is now on the option sheet while the previous Sport Line package is now standard. The Luxury package will offer…you guessed…more luxury, and the M Sport and M Aerodynamic package will increase its sporty looks. The new 2016 BMW 340i went on sale this month in the U.S. You can build your own 3 Series here.

Media and image source: BMW USA